A former South Danville resident has been sentenced to fifteen years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for Solicitation of Murder. Vermilion County Circuit Judge Charles Hall sentenced Bradley A. Servis Thursday (June 17, 2021).
Vermilion County State’s Attorney Jacqueline Lacy says Servis will be required to serve a minimum 85-percent of the term. In addition, Servis was sentenced to one year in prison for Hate Crime, which is a Class 4 felony. Day-for-day sentencing applies to that crime, however the sentence is consecutive to the term for Solicitation of Murder.
Judge Hall heard evidence that in the summer of 2018, Servis damaged a neighbor’s car and garage. Vermilion County Sheriff’s Police determined that the motivation for the crimes was in part due to the neighbor being a black female.
According to State’s Attorney Jacqueline Lacy while Servis was incarcerated, a Vermilion County Sheriff’s Investigator learned that Servis approached another inmate seeking assistance in having his neighbor killed. It would have prevented her from testifying in court.
The Investigator enlisted help from a Special Agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and obtained judicial authorization to use an eavesdropping device. Lacy says the ATF Agent posed as a ‘hit-man’, and obtained audio-taped evidence of Servis requesting the Agent eliminate this neighbor.
Lacy thanked the law enforcement agencies involved. ‘’This defendant’s initial crimes against his neighbor were despicable enough, but his attempts to have her murdered were simply horrendous and intolerable,’’ stated Lacy. She added the officers involved in this matter undoubtedly saved a life; providing assurance to all crime victims that they will be protected.
